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"Some birds aren't meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright"- Morgan Freeman, Shawshank Redemption. This blog is from one such bird who couldn't be caged by organizations who mandate scripted software testing. Pradeep Soundararajan welcomes you to this blog and wishes you a good time here and even otherwise.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

The most challenging software testing quiz online

This quiz created by me challenges a tester to answer several common and uncommon questions. At the end those who finish the quiz get to know what prize they win. ( which means, there are a lot of prizes to be won)

Last time I announced I would give free books - Lessons Learned in Software Testing and I did give it to those testers who proved to me that they deserved it by working on an exercise I gave them. This time I am keeping it as a secret because those who finish the quiz will get to know their prize when they see their performance and results. I have some questions that are easy, some which are moderate and some that only experts can crack - so whoever you are - you have a challenge.

Update me your score because if your score is more than other testers who have taken this quiz then you have a chance to win the many hundred dollars that I plan to give as a bumper prize. So here is the link to The Most Challenging Software Testing Quiz (I could ever think of creating)

Good luck!

Update: 12th October 1300 IST: The quiz is updated with HTML formatting and looks more great to my eyes. Thanks to Adam Goucher for his suggestions. 3 more very challenging questions are added. So you might want to re-take and check your score. If there is any betterment of your score update me so that you dont miss the grand prize.

Update: 12th October 2345 IST: If you dont see your comment for this post it is because I felt your comment contained some clue about the answers which might distract new people taking the quiz. In case you want to blog about this quiz please make sure you don't give the answers or let the people know the answers or experience as they might lose the excitement and opportunity to learn.

Thanks for your comment. I have published just your comment because you were careful not to reveal the answers in your comment and I had reject others which would kill the excitement of a tester taking the quiz.

"The important thing is not to stop questioning"- Albert Einstein

In my room, I have a poster of Einstein and a caption - Even Einstein asked questions.

I was disappointed to see the caption that said, "even Einstein..." and I cut the "Even" and now it doesn't look odd at all.

This quiz is an eye-opener to all our fellow testers who think that testing should go by the books (some aspect of it). But as you rightly said that its not the case.For a tester most important is his 'Presence of Mind' and 'Thought Process' that he puts/applies during testing.

Happened to pass by your blog today and read some so called thought provoking posts. They make me think you are boof-headed person with practically no knowledge of Software Testing.

Do you have any development experience or for that matter even written a small piece of code? (Being at a helm of a top organization here and having dealt with lots and lots of guys I bet you don't.) Whatever issues you point out and self-pat yourself in some of your previous posts are very trivial in nature for a normal developer.

I advise you come out of your dreams and live within the practical world rather than writing abstract, lengthy posts and confusing budding software pros.

Happened to pass by your blog today and read some so called thought provoking posts. They make me think you are boof-headed person with practically no knowledge of Software Testing.

If people like you who know software testing don't blog and spend time sharing your wonderful thought process about testing, people like me who are boof headed persons would obviously take advantage of it. So I pity that you have complained about yourself not blogging.

Do you have any development experience or for that matter even written a small piece of code?(Being at a helm of a top organization here and having dealt with lots and lots of guys I bet you don't.)

Wow! You are a genius. I have developed some test tools but that failed to work and so you are right.

I advise you come out of your dreams and live within the practical world rather than writing abstract, lengthy posts and confusing budding software pros.

Some people are blessed to get everything they want by just dreaming and I am one of them. In your practical world there are not many people who get what they want and hence I am happy living in the dream world.

I am excited and welcome such a comment because most of comments try to appreciate and encourage me.

I would have thought of asking you to coach me on what you think software testing is and I am willing to learn a new perspective but I fear you might not be interested to coach me because being at the helm of a top organization you are a coward to not disclose your details.

And remember, self pat is necessary . Don't tickle me with a lie that you never did self pat in the journey of your so called help of a top organization.

The final message is this: If you think you know then teach me, I want to learn!

I really enjoyed The Most Challenging Software Testing Quiz... I failed :) It is very good for me to be able to read blogs like yours that keep focus on the important part of our job - testing!Cheers,Michele

First, I am sorry. I tweaked your comment as I felt it contained a valuable point about the quiz.

Here is my answer to it: I do understand the difference that you mentioned but it was intentional that I did the mistake. Maybe I missed to add another lesson at the end about the difference you mentioned.

Thanks for constantly encouraging me. Your encouragement is one of the most important encouragements I have had to my betterment. You know we talk and will continue to talk a lot of different things over phone and why I have that is because I think I enjoy speaking and learning from you.

Hi Pradeep,just had a readthrough of some of your blog entries and finally to the software testing quiz. Some quite interesting questions. Hows 13/17 for someone who's only been working in the field for 3 months?

It is really really grt to take up the Most challenging software testing quiz.I 100% agree with ur statement "It is the human that finds bug and a test or a tool plays a role in helping the human find it"One more thing it really out of context...if u don't mind...At the end of the results sheet Scroller wheel of the mouse doesn't work...is it bug???

Thanks Pradeep for all the effort in making the Testers to learn what real testing is.

Wish you happy and prosperous Testing year.Expecting more n more such gud articles in ur bolg.

Pradeep,Sorry for Testing the quiz !!When i move the scroll bar, the content gets disappeared. Am using Mozilla/5.0; Linux i686; Firefox/2.0.0.7 version. I came across similar to this problem (bug) few months back while testing another web application. I have no issues when clicking on the buttons in scroll pane.I just finally wanted to conclude : I have found a bug - tested only once - from a quiz designed by you !!Thanks a lot Pradeep for your valuable "idea" (Ur points or ideas may be more but i realized only a single idea that "We humans .. find bugs .."Thanks a lot again !!I have added a bookmark and this is the second one related to Testing - first one was Shriniks !! Am sorry Shrini - i have ranked Pradeep's as first and u r my Second !!Hope i will achieve the best from hereon !!

Sorry for Testing the quiz !!When i move the scroll bar, the content gets disappeared. Am using Mozilla/5.0; Linux i686; Firefox/2.0.0.7 version. I came across similar to this problem (bug) few months back while testing another web application. I have no issues when clicking on the buttons in scroll pane.I just finally wanted to conclude : I have found a bug - tested only once - from a quiz designed by you !!

The bug isn't in what I did, maybe. I used a software that could potentially have more bugs than what you found. Maybe you could try with a different browser or maybe the product isn't designed for the configuration you have.

Thanks a lot Pradeep for your valuable "idea" (Ur points or ideas may be more but i realized only a single idea that "We humans .. find bugs .."Thanks a lot again !!

Thanks. I created the quiz with an intent to help testers and myself discover and invent stuff in testing.

You may want to pass on the quiz to a lot of other testers to help them, just like how I think I helped you.

I was congratulated even I got zero points, Though am a Mainframe developer, I could atleast attaned your quiz, The reason for this confidence is, I have some theoritical knowledge of Software testing, But today I came to know that I shudn't assumed simply that I have enough knowledge in testing to attend the quiz and need to prepare more. Anyway such a nice quiz and blogspot for the testing. I wish u to keep on goin'. And I want to appreciate for one more thing is your prompt response, for each and every congratulations and comments, you are spending time. Thanks Pradeep.

If you are able to learn despite you got a zero, you deserve a congratulation.

nyway such a nice quiz and blogspot for the testing. I wish u to keep on goin'. And I want to appreciate for one more thing is your prompt response, for each and every congratulations and comments, you are spending time. Thanks Pradeep.

If you want me to keep going, there are ways. One of them is sending the link to people in your list who would enjoy, appreciate or learn the stuff I am pumping here apart from keeping a regular check and commenting.

Yes Pradeep,I forwarded this blog to 2 of my friends before attempting this quiz. But now I would like to forward this blog to all who are in my company's testing team. Am so glad to do this. But definitely one day I'll get the min. points of this blog, As am a developer:) Thanks Pradeep.

well!! as you might expect i scored 0... and for the first time in my life i did not feel bad about it... come to think of it... most of the questions really did not have an answer unless you put it in "context"... thanks for breaking my mold... i will try to "unlearn" most of the things i have learnt that restrain my thinking... and... free my mind :)p.s. "learnt" is a valid word (past participle of learn) in dictionary but is highlighted as a grammatical mistake in the comment dialog box... a bug? or limited vocabulary? maybe a feature!!

well!! as you might expect i scored 0... and for the first time in my life i did not feel bad about it... come to think of it... most of the questions really did not have an answer unless you put it in "context"... thanks for breaking my mold... i will try to "unlearn" most of the things i have learnt that restrain my thinking... and... free my mind :)

What more can I ask for? I took about 10 days to think, work and re-work on this quiz and it's paying off.

p.s. "learnt" is a valid word (past participle of learn) in dictionary but is highlighted as a grammatical mistake in the comment dialog box... a bug? or limited vocabulary? maybe a feature!!

That was a good learning for me. I started to use "learned" instead of "learnt" and yes, I get "learnt" in red whenever I write it.

I know, I didn't score a zero.

Keep coming and keep your friends coming here, selfishly to help me be happy about my efforts to help the community.

That was fast!!! do you have an alarm to tell you when somebody has commented? wait... do not answer that... being as resourceful as you are i should expect these things from you...

If you post a puzzle as a comment and then I come out with a solution within a minute then it's fast :)

I am resourceful. What if I am struggling to solve a problem and someone adds a comment that is a clue to me to solve it? Clues can be from anywhere. I have learnt to juggle and at times I don't want to juggle. You hit the comment around a time I am online, so it's there.

I took half an hour to reply to as I took a break from the testing activity that I am doing.

Breaks in between testing is important, to gather and re-assess the ideas. Its fun.

I wouldn't say that its a wonderfull queationare, as many have already done that.

I took this quiz today and found defect on three page of the quiz :-)

These pages are Question No 15, 17 and the final result page.

I am running on a linux OS and using Mozilla Firefox version 1.5.0.3 to take the quiz. On the mentioned pages, I do get a scroll bar and whenever I click on the scrollbar, all text in the page disappears (and does not come back even on using a combination of Back and Next button)

I am running on a linux OS and using Mozilla Firefox version 1.5.0.3 to take the quiz. On the mentioned pages, I do get a scroll bar and whenever I click on the scrollbar, all text in the page disappears (and does not come back even on using a combination of Back and Next button)

Is it a bug/defect with the quiz or with the software that helped in creating the quiz?

If its the software ( which I suspect it is ) it is out of my control.

Thanks for the information. I hope there was something to learn either from the quiz or from the reply to your comment.

I am a customer for the quiz (I know I didn't paid you for that) and it is really immaterial for me to know wheather it is a quiz defect or the software defect with help of which you prepared the quiz.

Anyway, it was interesting. May be you can forward this to the maker of the software to help them make better software.

You are my customer for sure. You are my customer of things I am helping testers to learn.

If you have learned and yet you faced some issue with which you could get out with, I am happy and I know I would get continued business from you.

As you found the bug, you might want to share it with them because you know more about the context than me. I don't have the OS and configuration you are running and if I trust you and report to them then I am not being a tester there but just someone who forwards some information without investigating it.

I don't have the time to investigate on that issue because I have other things to investigate for which I am currently being paid. However, it might be a good idea for you to report to them as you can see the software name in that presentation, probably.

Failure makes you to start again more intelligently! It’s another chance for me to apply this; Thanks for your ideas and liked your positive Approach too. I don’t think anyone who takes up this test would feel bad of failing!

I can only say that your quiz is quite disappointing. You are only trying to demotivate testers by writing such stupid quiz which have no real relevance to testing. Infact, I would like to congratulate testers who haven't taken up this quiz.

One suggestion from my side, instead of wasting your time on such quizes, you should spend some time in writing quality blogs, if you are a really good tester.

I can only say that your quiz is quite disappointing. You are only trying to demotivate testers by writing such stupid quiz which have no real relevance to testing. Infact, I would like to congratulate testers who haven't taken up this quiz.

I will pass on your congratulations to all those testers who haven't taken up the quiz yet.

One suggestion from my side, instead of wasting your time on such quizes, you should spend some time in writing quality blogs, if you are a really good tester.

Thanks for your suggestion. As I realize I am not a good tester, I dont think I might be able to write quality blogs. How about you writing quality blogs that can benefit the community?

I have taken the test and on page 15 or Question 15, I was doing a match pair selection from drop down; I used a scroll bar and then the content of Question 15 was gone. It shows all blank page and I can navigate to 14 & 16 question.

Liked the test,says scored zero,couldn't able to read the feed back,I have not answered some questions...I think its a feature I can skip the answerr..anyway I am not great @ testing .Couldn't able to read the result feedback.

I found that the quiz is informative. But I was have come an issue... for questions where there are lot of options and have a vertical scroll bar, if I hold my mouse pointer on the scroll bar, the complete information disappears..

See my comments.-- Rename this from quiz-- Stop using word 'I' in some places-- Don't give %ges unless u hav done some survey at least-- Stop saying In india, testers are like this and there is no difference with respect to testers in india. There might be the same difference which exists for dev, architects etc..-- You writing seriously tells me that you wanted to convey that you can explain any thing in subjective way about testing. But It is always acceptable to tell some thing great about you is good but telling something -ve about others to project your self will not be going to help you.

One thing ur posts might be interesting for some people who are inferior about testing but ....

ok man but I should appreciate the efforts that you are making in what ever that you believe in.

Hi Pradeep, I happened to pass by with the links given by one of my friend with me being new to the industry with just a year and 6 months. I started adoring your blogs, not just because of it is about testing but it is something more , which "crook narrow minded brains" can't understand. If we are a fool to the Outside world, no Issues , as we know A fool may be a fool for the outside world, but to other fools we are an intelligent fools.I hope you understood what i meant.

About the Quiz : Am proud to say that i got zero marks and failed .. not because that you are praising the above commented people but because am a fool and i don't care about the other people comments , as after all it is my life and career and am the one who has to be more concerned than others at the helm.

Finally would like to sign off, No matter if you are climbing the stairs and also fall, or if the stairs are broken and still u climb and fall ,, one thing is for sure when you try the next time, Either you will climb higher with more confidence and determination or there will not be a single stairs as all would break and fall ..It is all about how you learn from your mistakes

I was drooling at the bumper prize and was eager to finish off the quiz soon ;-) So I couldn't realize that I had to think beyond every available answer for all questions. So ended up forcing myself to pick one answer from existing answers .. lol ;-) But the Result/Feedback screen was unexpected;-) The moment I saw zero score, even before seeing the lessons below it I realized why I didn't go outside the available answers ;-) It was worth coming across the lessons of this quiz once to remind myself what I was forgetting these days !!

It was an excellent quiz but I was disappointed seeing my score :( though I learnt some valuable lessons. Thanks..Wanted to share one thing 15th ques vanished when I atttempted to go back and check my options...Is this a bug??I was using IE8.

I am Bharani-Tester from Chennai, Really, very nice quiz. I started to answer very honestly. But, I got zero points:) once, i view my result, somewhat i felt upset. after-that, your words really awesome make me confident and learnt to have a better skill. And, I have query to you.how many days you took to start preparing about this session? your enthusiastic and impression plays a role model for us.hands off to you:)

Hi Pradeep,Today I read your blog for the first time with one video (about testers interview, myths...) & it was awesome. I could see myself in some of the examples your discussed there.

Also just now I came across your online quiz post. Before starting my quiz session, can you update how many questions are there & is there any time limit ?This will help me to decide if I can take quiz now or at some other time based on my schedule.

Problem:-After Question 14, the scrolling is not working fine. if you scroll question to the bottom, the question disappears. it happens in all the question afterwards.Repeatiblity:-100% please have a look

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Tester Tested! by Pradeep Soundararajan is licensed under Creative Commons. You must owe credits to Pradeep Soundararajan when you copy paste anything from here by mentioning the name and proper linking to the post. You are not allowed to edit any of the post without permission. For permissions, write to pradeep.srajan@gmail.com